Primula mistassinica
Primula cuneifolia
bird's-eye primrose, Lake Mistassini primrose, Mistassini primrose, primevère du lac Mistassini
wedge-leaf primrose
not aromatic, indistinctly petiolate;
petiole narrowly winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, spatulate to elliptic, 5–7 × 0.2–1.6 cm, thin, margins denticulate to almost entire, apex obtuse to acute, surfaces glabrous.
not aromatic, petiolate;
petiole winged;
blade without deep reticulate veins abaxially, broadly cuneate, 1–6 × 0.8–1 cm, succulent, margins coarsely dentate, apex obtuse, surfaces glabrous.
1–5(–10)-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, ± equal.
1–9-flowered;
involucral bracts plane, unequal.
arcuate, thin, 5–20 mm, length 2–4 times bracts, flexuous.
erect, somewhat capillary, 3–20 mm, length 2–4 times bracts, flexuous.
heterostylous;
calyx green, campanulate, 3–5 mm;
corolla lavender, tube 5–8 mm, length 1.5–2 times calyx, eglandular, limb 8–14 mm diam., lobes 4–7 mm, apex emarginate.
heterostylous or homostylous;
calyx green, urceolate, 4–6 mm;
corolla rose-pink, tube 4–6 mm, length 1–1.2 times calyx, glandular, limb 10–25 mm diam., lobes 5–10 mm, apex deeply cleft.
cylindric to ellipsoid, length 1–1.2 times calyx.
globose, length 0.6–0.8 times calyx.
without flanged edges, reticulate.
with flanged edges, reticulate.
= 18.
Primula mistassinica
Primula cuneifolia
Primula mistassinica is the most widespread of the North American primroses, and one of the more polymorphic. It can vary in size, leaf morphology, and amount of farina; it is generally consistent in overall habit and floral morphology. Infraspecific taxa previously recognized include var. intercedens, a farinose form common around the Great Lakes, and var. novaeboracensis, a form without a prominent yellow eye in the corolla tube. Isolated individuals showing these characteristics appear throughout the range of the species, and an extensive examination of the complex by H. W. Vogelmann (1956, 1960) led him to conclude that it is best treated as a single, highly variable species; recent molecular analyses (A. Guggisberg et al. 2006) support this assessment. Around the Great Lakes, the presence of farina on the leaves is especially variable, and can range from extensive to nonexistent. Consequently, it seems most appropriate to recognize a single polymorphic taxon with no infraspecific designations, unless molecular analysis suggests otherwise. Although smaller forms of P. mistassinica often have been confused with other species in sect. Aleuritia, it is usually distinguishable by its relatively large heterostylous flowers with lavender corollas.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).
Heterostylous representatives of Primula cuneifolia occur primarily in Asia, where this form predominates and the homostylous taxon is quite rare. It is not known whether the Asian homostyles are directly related to the North American complex, or, alternatively, represent separate mutations to homostyly from the Asian heterostylous stock; additional genetic studies are needed to assess these relationships. In North America, the heterostylous subsp. cuneifolia has been found only in the western Aleutian Islands. The homostylous subsp. saxifragifolia is found throughout most of Alaska and south to Vancouver Island. The subspecies differ somewhat in their vegetative morphology. Subspecies saxifragifolia typically has shorter scapes and petioles and fewer flowers than subsp. cuneifolia; these characters overlap and may correlate at least in part to environmental factors.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Flowers heterostylous. | subsp. cuneifolia |
1. Flowers homostylous. | subsp. saxifragifolia |
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